Russian editors quit after stories about Putin family

Three editors at a Russian media group have resigned after one of its newspapers ran reports on the business interests of President Vladimir Putin’s family.

The RBC group’s daily newspaper recently published a number of high-profile investigations, including on the financial dealings of people close to Putin, among them his son-in-law.

The editors left their posts after weeks of pressure on the outlet including an office raid by police officials, the Reuters news agency reported. 

A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied that the group had been put under any pressure, according to Interfax news agency.

The three editors are Elizaveta  Osetinskaya, editor-in-chief of the RBC media group; Roman Badanin, editor-in-chief of the group’s news agency; and Maxim Solyus, editor-in-chief of its daily newspaper.

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“Recently we have talked a lot about how to develop RBC further and in these conversations we have been unable to reach a common opinion on important issues,” RBC general director, Nikolai Molibog, said in a statement. “That is why we have decided to part ways.”

The group declined to comment on whether the editors left under pressure from the Kremlin.

Friday’s resignations were the latest blow to what many analysts and rights groups see as beleaguered media industry. Several other RBC journalists said on Facebook they would also quit soon.

Critics say that many previously independent media outlets have been forced to tone down their criticism or change editorial policies altogether. Others have shut down or moved abroad.